This invention relates to a bulk palletizer with a programmable, cantilevered arm. In one embodiment, the invention relates to an innovative end-of-arm tool on the programmable arm.
In the recent past, customers purchased machines to palletize bulk loads of empty containers that were semi-automatic. These machines required manual placement of tier sheets and top-frames. More recently, fully automatic palletizers were introduced that took the manual placement of tier sheets and top frames to an automatic function of the machine.
These machines use separate, distinct, and large complex mechanical devices to perform the operations of feeding the pallet, feeding the individual slip sheets, feeding the top frame that gives the load strength during the strapping process, and stacking the tiers of containers. There are effectively several machines inefficiently performing the same role as our invention.
The conventional non-robotic bulk palletizer consists of many frames joined together occupying horizontal and vertical space much greater than our invention. Space is cost to a manufacturer.
Generally, the invention is the cell. The cell is an integration of equipment that will form a tier of containers, stack the tiers of containers, place pallets, tier sheets, and top frames and prepare the load for strapping and removal to the warehouse.
Specifically, this cell for bulk palletizing containers is comprised of a tier staging area, a programmable robot with cantilevered arm and end-of-arm tool, a tier sheet station, a pallet station, a top frame station, and a load build area. The end-of-arm tool incorporates the full tier pickup, tier sheet pickup, pallet pickup, and top frame pickup. The single robot will perform all functions in the sequence.
More specifically, the essence of the invention is the use of a robot to gather the tier of containers and carry it to the load build area for stacking the tiers. The cell uniquely includes a programmable robot with cantilevered arm as a single means for placing pallets, tiers of containers, tier sheets and top frames in the load build area.
In the cell, tier, tier sheets, pallets, and top frames stacks can be automatically delivered to the system on conveyors without a fork truck entering the cell. This cell provides reduced space, a drastic reduction in electrical controls and sensors, and one mechanical component that will perform the multiple operations of stacking the tiers of containers, placing the pallet, tier sheets and top frame. Since this equipment is one piece, fewer moving parts will create less maintenance and less down time. Absolutely unique is the end of arm tooling fitted to the robot that will gather a complete tier and place tiers robotically on the previous tier until a complete load is built.